Episodes
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Mark and Kristen Kimball of Essex Farm in Essex, New York, have farmed for over 20 years together. Mark and Kristen are known for their year-round, free-choice, whole-diet CSA model on 130 acres, with 22 acres and vegetables and access to 1,100 acres per grazing, haymaking, and sugaring, producing everything from veggies, fruit, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and more. They balance the complexities of a year-round whole diet CSA model and their approach to winter food in the form of not only storage crops, but through the animals they raise who harvest the sun's abundance in the form of grass, forbs, and legumes, and store it as nutrient-dense, protein, and fat. They believe that this is season extension too, and complementary to fresh vegetable production. A very insightful conversation…
Mentioned in the show…
Kristen’s books: Good Husbandry & The Dirty Life
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Farmer Sarah Patterson of Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah, was just 14 years old when she started her first CSA on her parents' land after they moved to Utah from LA. Now, 15 years later, she has built Red Acre Farm into a thriving one-acre certified organic farm with a year-round, full-diet CSA, farm stand, farm kitchen, AND farm stay, along with hosting farm dinners, workshops, and other community events. She also founded the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its eighth year, and with her mom established the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit with a focus on farmer education and advocating for farmers at the state level. Since 2015, she and her mom have worked together to pass more than 19 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers in Utah. Sarah is a powerhouse of energy and drive to make small-scale farming and local food accessible to all in her community and to inspire others to do the same.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Missing episodes?
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Kate Woods, farm manager of Beetlebung Farm in Chilmark, Massachusetts, along with her partner Nick, are the co-managers of a two-acre regenerative and primarily no-till farm on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Before its current iteration, the land had a rich history in agriculture, something of which that has been important to carry on for the island community, as well as a commitment to year-round production and innovation. With only two acres, the focus is on direct retail through a farm stand, farmer's markets, and a handful of wholesale clients, plus some educational opportunities for local school children and the larger island community. On the horizon is the opening of a farm store and a bakery with a focus on the culinary creations of local island products, which is a passion of Kate's. We speak about her background, how the farm started, and her role in helping to realize a vision of a robust and nimble four-season farm with a deep passion and mission to serve the island community.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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As their farm name suggests, Montana farmers Max Smith and Katie Madden of Winter Kissed Farm focus on growing vegetable crops year-round, especially during the winter seasons. On 15 acres and at 3,500 feet in elevation, they use multiple high-tunnels and caterpillar-tunnels to grow crops and sell them through a CSA, an online store, and to some area restaurants. They've had an interesting journey with marketing and production by focusing on winter- and spring-only sales during some recent years, but they are bringing back their summer CSA this year to meet the increasing demand for local, year-round veggies. With a crew of five full-time employees and following the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen and the holistic goal framework, Max and Katie are very intentional with their farm and business practices. Even in the face of challenges, they are flexible and mindful and offer an inspiring example of how to work together and build a farm as a team.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm in Western Massachusetts, has been farming for 27 years and began her farm with her husband on land that was the birthplace of the CSA model popularized by Robyn Van En in 1986. Stewarding this important property, Elizabeth started her CSA with 12 member shares in 1997, which has since grown to 250 members, plus sales at a farmer's market and some restaurants and stores, all from five acres of production. The farm is certified naturally grown, and Elizabeth is an active member of CRAFT, the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training Program, which trains future farmers. The farm has three high-tunnels--she uses no heat in winter--and focuses on producing chard, kale, spinach, lettuce, scallions, radicchio, and cilantro as fresh winter crops. The farm is financially stable and viable, and Elizabeth has been the full-time grower since 2003, deriving all her income from the farm. Not only is Elizabeth a seasoned farmer with a successful CSA model and story, she is also a farmer who prioritizes community, family, self-care, and a healthy work-life balance as an inspiring example for others to follow.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Ellie Goldstein and Dan Bryant of Small Holding Farm in Morganton, North Carolina, were recommended by a fan of the show as young, new, year-round farmers. Ellie and Dan started their farm in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic. Ellie has a background in psychology and works part-time in the mental health field and Dan is a certified arborist and carpenter… skills that have undoubtedly helped their recent transition into starting a farm and homestead with a focus on year-round production and building community. Farming on one acre with three high-tunnels, they prioritize building soil using primarily no-till methods, and they experiment with finding the best ways their bodies, the land, and their business can benefit and grow from these choices. I appreciate the full approach Dan and Ellie have taken in building their farm and business, and I hope our conversation can offer other new farmers inspiration as well.
Mentioned in the show...
Previous podcast guest Urbavore Farm
Previous podcast guest Ten Mothers Farm
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Aidan Feeney of Fog Town Farm is located on Nantucket Island, 30 miles off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Growing up on Nantucket as an outdoor enthusiast and working in landscaping and doing tree work during high school, Aidan became inspired to learn about agriculture and spent time in New York and in Vermont in college working on farms. In 2019, he returned to the island to start Fogtown Farm on leased conservation land. Now five years later, he has two acres under cultivation and is expanding to an additional three and a half acres on newly leased land. The demand for local produce year-round on the island is great. So, over the years, he's added caterpillar tunnels along with more high tunnels in the coming seasons. The wind and winter storms make year-round growing on the island especially challenging, but Aidan has found creative ways to persevere and grow his farm business. Along with his wife Natasha and their new son Arlo, Aidan is committed to year-round growing and supplying his island community with the freshest vegetables around.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Nate & Gabrielle of Six River Farm are located just north of Portland, ME. As early apprentices of Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm—also former guests on the show—Nate and Gabrielle are now in their 18th! year of farming. Starting Six River Farm in 2007, on 2.5 acres of leased land, AND utilizing a collective farm model with four farms sharing infrastructure, they now have grown to 25 acres of vegetable production, with 20 employees during the main-season, 10 of whom work year-round. Farming on a mix of owned and leased land, they use eleven high-tunnels and 11 caterpillar tunnels for their year-round production supplying a self-serve farm-stand that’s set up in a greenhouse, year-round farmers markets, and direct wholesale to natural food stores. They are a beloved farm in central Maine, and as a family with two kids they prioritize a healthy farm-life balance by taking time away from the farm to travel… and visit other farms, too. Nate and Gabrielle offer a tremendous amount of experience and wisdom. They are an inspiring example of four-season farming done well.
Check out the folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Today, I have TWO guests, Emily Von-Trapp of Von Trapp Flowers in VT and Linda D’arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers in NY. Emily and Linda each operate their own cut flower businesses with a focus on wholesale and winter flower bulb forcing AND they collaborate to teach flower farmers how to bring beautiful flowers to bloom during the coldest and darkest months of the year through The Tulip Workshop online course and on-farm classes. Along with a second Lilly workshop, their collaboration has inspired hundreds of flower farmers to grow local blooms during the dark winter months. We talk about their backgrounds, how they met, along with an uncanny list of similarities they share and some of the specifics of their farms in terms of growing infrastructure and systems. Lots of great information shared in this episode by two wonderful women with a passion for local winter blooms and friendship.
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Over the last 14 years, Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms has been passionate about developing growing systems to successfully grow and sell certified organic produce fifty-two weeks a year in western Tennessee. Along with his wife Ashley and six homeschooled children, he is committed to creating a family-focused farm that allows for a sustainable and healthy work-life balance. Using a meticulous system of eighteen caterpillar tunnels on one acre, Ray is able to supply three farmers markets and a farm stand. His market displays are called "the salad bar" and they are always stacked high with bunches of carrots, radish, celery, lettuce heads, and a varied assortment of greens. The early years, however, were a challenge for Ray, and we speak about how he and his family persevered with a lot of trial and error to become the successful farm and business they have today. Ray is an inspiring example of a passionate farmer who is committed to the health and well-being of his family, his business, the community, and the land.
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat
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Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in upstate NY are seasoned expert winter growers. They have been involved with winter growing since they first purchased their 60-acre property 35 years ago. With three large RIMOL high-tunnels, numerous caterpillar and field tunnels, dedicated wash/pack, and climate controlled storage facilities, they have honed their year-round systems on three cultivated acres and have achieved financial stability for themselves and their family. Until recently, 90% of their sales were from farmers markets. Due to the initial impacts of COVID, they transitioned to almost all online sales without missing a beat. As they are approaching retirement, their farm business is in transition and they are considering how best to keep the land actively farmed. Their two children, Robert and Kim, Followed in their footsteps and each have their own farm businesses, Smart Farm Innovations and Pleasant Valley Flowers, respectively. Both Sandy and Paul offer an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience with winter production and farming for the long haul. It was truly and honor to speak with them for the last episode of this fourth Winter Growers podcast season.
Folks who make the show possible...
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
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Joy Longfellow is a flowers trial technician on the flowers team at Johnny’s research farm. I invited Joy to speak about their overwinter flower trials and the info they have gathered over the past few years. The Johnny’s research farm is 200+ acres acres in size with 60+ acres in crop production that includes both field and greenhouse growing for plant breeding, seed production, trialing, and cover crop rotation. The overwintering flower trials focus on cool season annuals, and a few perrenial, biannual, and bulb crops. Everything is grown for research purposes. Using unheated high-tunnels and meticulous record keeping, they're able to determine the best timing of the top five flower crops to grow in an over-winter tunnel for northern climates. All of their work is a great free resource for farmers interested in getting early high quality flower crops without having to do the time consuming and often costly experimentation on their own. Joy offers a wealth of of information about growing, selecting, and managing overwinter flowers and her expertise is an excellent resource for winter growers.
Folks who make the show possible...
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
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Located in the Pacific Northwest, Brian and his partner Chrystine first started as a fresh market farm is 2004, producing their first seed catalog in 2007, and then transitioned entirely to seed production in 2011. Uprising Seeds is WA fist 100% certified organic seed company, producing over 70% of the seeds they sell with the rest being sourced from a network of regional family farms. Brian is passionate about exploring the relationship between grower security and open pollinated seeds and the ability to seasonally adapt varieties to climactic conditions specifically through seed work. Brian is also involved with a collaborative project between Uprising Seeds, The Culinary Breeding Network, and northern Italian vegetable breeder Smarties to further establish radicchio as an anchor crop for the fall and winter seasons in North America. Overall, a great conversation for better understanding how seed production and selection can effect winter crop production.
Mentioned in the show…
Brian’s favorite tool, the Winnow Wizard by Luterra
Lane Selman and The Culinary Breeding Network
(A podcast with Lane on Collab Farm about CBN)For more on seed production, check out The Seed Growers Podcast with Dan Brisebois
Folks who make the show possible...
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
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Erin and Sam started Long Season Farm in Ulster County, NY, in 2014 as a winter-only operation, but have since expanded to year-round production and market the majority of their produce at two year-round farmers markets. With seven acres in production, they have four 30' x 96' unheated high-tunnels, plus a prop house, multiple cat/ tunnels, a moveable tunnel, and a large heated greenhouse that includes their wash station. Unheated winter tunnel crops have been very successful, especially when coupled with a diverse array of storage crops. Erin is also very active in her local community and was elected to the town board in 2019. While they both appreciate the year-round cash-flow and access to new markets that winter production allows, the farm revenue only covers expenses, and they've found it challenging to save meaningfully while also avoiding the burnout that can come from year-round farming. I enjoyed hearing about their experiences and insights and what motivates them to continue farming year-round.
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
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Jamila Norman of Patchwork City Farms in Atlanta, GA, is a first generation daughter to Caribbean parents whose history is rooted in agriculture. After a career in environmental engineering, she founded Patchwork City Farms in 2010, an acre+ urban farm with one 30'x96' high-tunnel and four caterpillar tunnels that supplies two farmers markets, a couple of local restaurants, and a farmstand. I reached out to Jamila in January after an arctic blast with lows in the teens hit Atlanta and decimated 90% of her winter crops and severely impacted local winter crop availability. I wanted to see if I could offer any help or suggestions in preparing for future extreme cold weather events not normally experienced so far south, but what I learned from Jamila was just how difficult it is to prepare for extreme unpredictable cold unless adequate infrastructure, like high-tunnels, are already in use, which are not typically needed for winter hardy crops in the south. We also talk about her television series, Homegrown, on Magnolia Network, which just launched it's third season. The series focuses on helping families in the Atlanta area transform their outdoor spaces into beautiful and functional backyard farms and gardens. It can be streamed on HBO Max. Jamila is a warm-hearted leader and resource for the urban farming community and I truly enjoyed this conversation.
Mentioned in the show…
Homegrown from Magnolia Network on HBO Max
Folks who make the show possible...
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
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In 2015, Amy Frye and Jacob Slosberg of Boldly Grown Farm in Bow, WA, started a one-acre farm at an incubator farm shortly after meeting and working on their university farm. Now, in their ninth season, they’ve purchased their own farm property and currently cultivate 30 acres of vegetables, a couple acres of grains, dry beans, seed crops, and flowers. Winter crops have always been the focus from the beginning. Eighty percent of sales are through wholesale channels including distributors and food hubs, plus they operate a 250+ member winter CSA and recently opened an on-site farmstand. Amy and Jacob’s story is a great example of rapid growth of their farming goals combined with mechanized and scaled winter production, while simultaneously raising a family and anchoring their farm business and home on permanent land.
Mentioned in the show…
VIVA Farms farm incubator, listen to their conversation on Collab Farm here
NOLS Leadership Course, Year in Patagonia
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
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Jillian and Ross Mickens of Open Door Farm in Cedar Grove, NC, work collaboratively with previous podcast guests Vera and Gordon of Ten Mother Farm to fill CSA boxes with many of the land intensive crops like potatoes and winter squash. With 5 acres under cultivation, and eleven seasons under their belt, they recently made the transition to winter-only sales from mid-August to the end of March, while using the main-season to tend to storage and root crop production, as well as rest during the hottest months of the year. Both the focus on winter-only sales and the collaborative relationship with neighboring farms creates an interesting farm business model that we get to better understand the opportunities and challenges of as a potential approach to growing in a warmer winter climates of the South.
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
SeedTime Planner crop planning tool for home gardeners and market farmers. Get your free account and $5 seed coupon ->> seedtime.us/notillpodcast
Vermont Compost Company premium living soils, composts, and potting mixes. Invest in your soil!
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Rebecca and her husband, Mark, started Moonshot Farm in East Windsor, NJ, in 2019 after relocating from New York City to begin their dream of growing year-round cut flowers in a northern climate. In just four short years, they have built their 3.5 acre flower farm to include four high-tunnels, two of which are heated by a geothermal heating system, and they sell at two year round farmers markets, manage a 130 member CSA bouquet-of-the-month club, and an on-site farmstead. Just this year, they were able to quit their off-farm jobs to work full-time on the farm. Also, in the last four years, they had two children, Rose and Violet!
We talk extensively about their geothermal heating system which allows them to offer customers blooms 12 months of the year. I learned a ton about flower production from our conversation, she offers such great info for anyone looking to add winter flowers to their farm.
Follow Moonshot Farm on Instagram
Mentioned in the show…
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
NRCS EQIP High-Tunne Grant Program
Rural Energy for America Program
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
Farmers Friend for caterpillar tunnels, harvest equipment, tarps, & more! Get free shipping through ->> farmersfriend.com/notill
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
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Today my guest is John Dindia of Lakeview Hill Farm in Traverse City, MI. John and his partner Bailey designed and built their farm from the ground up beginning in 2017 on a 58-acre property with 10 acres of available farmland and a 35-acre woodlot. Now, with 2.5 acres in production, they have five 30’ x 148’ heated greenhouses, a dedicated propagation house connected to a production barn, and seven 20’ x 148’ caterpillar tunnels. Plus, their farm is 75% powered by solar and they are committed to utilizing renewable energy in all aspects of their farm. Seventy percent of gross sales are dedicated to wholesale, including grocery stores, restaurants, and a growers cooperative CSA, all within 15 miles of the farm. The rest comes from an on-site farm stand that they are expanding into a full service farm store later this summer (’23).
John and Bailey have been full-time on their farm since the beginning, plus they have five year-round employees with four staff on salary. John and I dig into the details of the heating and lighting systems he uses to maintain productivity during the cold grey winters of Michigan, as well as the support he and Bailey access to finance the startup and growth of their farm business, including loans through the FSA. John offers a ton of expertise and experience for farmers looking to improve their winter growing systems and mindfully grow their farm business for the long haul.
Mentioned in the show...
USDA/FSA Farm Loan Programs
USDA/NRCS Grants, Programs, & Initiatives
John uses Nolt's Greenhouse Supplies & Total Grow LEDs
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
Farmers Friend for caterpillar tunnels, harvest equipment, tarps, & more! Get free shipping through ->> farmersfriend.com/notill
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
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Welcome back to the Winter Growers Podcast! In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Niki Jabbour, who is an award-winning author, radio show host, educator, and gardening expert on year-round growing in a northern climate. Niki is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, zone 5b at the 44th parallel. She enthusiastically maintains half an acre of raised beds in her back yard using a combination of a high tunnel, low tunnels, cold frames, she grows over 30 veggie crops for winter harvest, including: lettuce, scallions, parsley, kale, carrots, leeks, and arugula. In addition to her books on year-round gardening, Niki also offers online courses on her website savvygardening.com and free educational videos on her YouTube channel and Instagram. I loved speaking with Niki, she is an excellent resource for home gardeners and small-scale growers looking for tips and techniques for successful year-round vegetable production.
Mentioned in the show…
Niki’s website, savvygardening.com
The Savvy Gardening Instagram, YouTube channel, and online courses/resources
BOOK// The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live
Folks who make the show possible...
RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels.
Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources.
Farmers Friend for caterpillar tunnels, harvest equipment, tarps, & more! Get free shipping through ->> farmersfriend.com/notill
BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements.
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